


We'll Start Again

by ImWithEnjolras



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, homophobia mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4265856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImWithEnjolras/pseuds/ImWithEnjolras
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sports news reporters who are being pressured into belittling an athlete for coming out as gay when they themselves have been having a secret office romance. Will they stand up for what is right and risk losing their job or succumb to the pressure and continue their relationship in secret???</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Start Again

**Author's Note:**

> Another SASO fill!! I figured I should get this one out before I leave on Monday~

Tanaka and Noya looked at the prompts in their hands with undisguised looks of disgust. Just a few hours ago, volleyball captain and Japan's national star, Sawamura Daichi, admitted to an invite-only sports conference that he was gay. Tanaka and Noya, themselves were in the front row, there both as journalists and as close friends of Daichi.

Tanaka's assistant tried to be as diplomatic on the prompt cards as she could, but they were clearly of poor taste. "I know this is uncomfortable..."

"Uncomfortable? This is fucking disgusting." Tanaka tossed the cards in his hands onto the coffee table, not one for mincing his words. His assistant winced at Tanaka's lack of filter off the set. "We live in the twenty first fucking century!"

"I can't believe the network actually wants us to say these things." Noya had called the higher ups moments earlier to inform them that there was no way in God's green earth they were saying such slanderous and demeaning things about someone they dearly cared about. However, he was immediately delivered an ultimatum: use the prompts or lose your jobs.

Now both were sat in their dressing room, deflated and angry.

"He's gay, not diseased! There's nothing wrong with him!" Tanaka stood up from the couch, ready to kick over the coffee table.

"Mr. Tanaka, you should calm-" 

"Calm down? The network wants me to calm down when they want me to make fun of someone - one of my best friends, someone I greatly respect - on national television!" Tanaka pressed his fingers against his temple, letting out a short, angry breath from his nose.

"Eri-chan, go take a break for a bit. Ryuu and I have a few things to discuss. I'll get you later?" The girl only nodded, quietly shutting the door behind herself. Noya sighed softly, pulling on the back of Tanaka's dress pants. Tanaka sank into the couch all elation from Daichi's conference sucked out of him.

"What are we gonna do, Yuu?" Noya crawled over to Tanaka, taking a familiar seat in his lover's lap now that there was no around to see. He wrapped his arms around Tanaka's torso, not caring for the inevitable wrinkles his hold would cause. "This isn't right...we can't do this. This is unfair."

"And this isn't just about Daichi." Noya pressed his lips to the column of Tanaka's neck, Tanaka's arms holding him tightly.

Tanaka and Noya met fifteen years ago as interns at the nation's largest sports broadcasting station. They immediately bonded over their love of volleyball and their need to share this love of volleyball with the rest of the world. They struggled through their internships, eventually landing spots as co-anchors for a small show at a weird time slot. They quickly gained popularity and a large following due to their boisterous personalities, passion for sports, and obvious chemistry, even with their relatively tiny show.

Their work relationship quickly progressed to friendship which shifted to tentative romance, and keeping something like this under wraps was not something Tanaka and Noya were used to. They wanted to tell everyone and anyone, but being such popular figures in the sports world, they just couldn't, not even their closest friends knew. Office relationships, though allowed, were strongly discouraged. On top of that, they were both men and, as recent events have come to show, this sort of relationship was not exactly accepted by the network.

Noya sighed, nuzzling into Tanaka's chest. "How long have we been with the network?" Tanaka's voice rumbled against Noya's ear.

"Ten, fifteen years, maybe." Noya sniffed, Tanaka's lips pressed against his temple.

"It's been a good fifteen years with you." Tanaka's hold around Noya tightened. Noya's eyes slid shut, a calm smile on his lips.

"Let's stick it to the man, Ryuu." Tanaka nodded, turning Noya's head to face him, kissing all of Noya's worries away.

-

"Goooood evening, friends, family, viewers, and strangers!" Noya's feet kicked nervously under the table as he greeted the camera and the live audience, the heat of the set lights feeling hotter than usual. He felt Tanaka place a large, warm hand on his thigh and Noya let out a calming breath.

"Today's been one hell of a day, huh?" Tanaka seamlessly continued after Noya, diving straight into other sports news and purposely avoiding the subject of the prompt cards directly in front of them. Hockey, basketball, baseball, football, soccer - hell, even figure skating - anything to eat up time and talk as little as possible about Daichi and how he loves. Their natural rapport with each other keeps the audience occupied and distracted, but even they can see the director getting a little antsy.

Then they catch the stern glare of one of the producers - a brute of a producer, who nobody liked, and also the one Noya spoke to on the phone, forcing them to this position. He was also the one who pushed this on them.

With a sigh that he didn't bother to hide, Noya spoke again. "All right, folks. We're down to our last topic of the show." At this point, Tanaka brought his hand up from Noya's thigh to the desk.

"Our last topic is about..." Tanaka's hands clenched into fists, expression somber and serious. "It's about love."

"The truth is...the network has given us an ultimatum." Noya picked up the pile of prompt cards. "Use these to ridicule and demean one of our best friends for how he loves or end our careers."

"The last topic of this episode will also be the last topic of our careers on this network." Tanaka stated resolutely, reaching out to take Noya's hand and interlace their fingers. "We can't- I can't do that to a friend when I, myself, am in love with Noya and I have been for the whole of our careers."

The audience was stunned to silence, even the producer's jaw had fallen open. Noya tossed the prompt cards onto the ground. "I won't ridicule love. I love Tanaka Ryuunosuke and I will never stop." Noya squeezed Tanaka's hand, voice shaky.

They stood up together. "Thank you for everything." Tanaka looked at Noya with a smile and teary eyes. Both men bowed to the audience. "This is Tanaka and Noya, signing off."

The audience started murmuring as soon as the  red recording lights blinked off in the studio. The murmurs quickly increased in volume, voices of outrage over their forced ending and the network’s stance on this issue quickly filling the studio. Tanaka and Noya bowed again to their audience, simultaneously thanking them for their support especially now and bidding them farewell.

Tanaka squeezed Noya’s hand tightly as they walked out together, steeling himself for the both of them as Noya cried into his suit sleeve. As they made their way past their friends and coworkers, they were surprised to be met by teary eyes and respectful bows. Tanaka’s breath hitched in his throat and he was incredibly glad they made it to their dressing room. He threw his arm over Noya’s shoulders, pressing his lips to Noya’s temple.

As soon as they shut their door behind them, Noya whirled around and wrapped his arms tightly around Tanaka’s waist, tears instantly wetting Tanaka’s shirt.

“Shh, it’s okay, Yuu.” Tanaka cried as he tried to comfort Noya. “It’ll be okay.”

Noya stayed quiet for a bit, his sobs the only noise he made. His hold on Tanaka tightened, but he pulled his head back, giving Tanaka a teary-eyed smile. “I know. I’ve got you. You’re all I need.”

“We’ll start again, Yuu.” Tanaka gently weaved his fingers through Noya’s hair. “We’ll start again.”


End file.
